20 SEPTEMBER 1873, Page 1

The Canadian Prime Minister, Sir John Macdonald, has appeared before

the Royal Commission on the Pacific Railway scandal, and admitted that he received $45,000 from Sir Hugh Allan to be employed in influencing the elections for the province of Ontario. Sir John Macdonald denies that there was any corrupt compact with Sir. Hugh Allan,—that the money was to be regarded as paid- in consideration of the charter granted to the Company, of which Sir Hugh was to be chairman. There may have been no- compact actually expressed, but, we apprehend, the members of the Commission must be persons of much more innocent and unsophisticated minds than are usually given to politicians on the North-American continent, if they do not conclude that there was a very, clear and good understanding on the subject between the Minister

and the contractor. Sir John Macdonald admits that he had promised the Presidency of the Pacific Railway to Sir Hugh Allan shortly before the sum alluded to was paid. Sir Hugh Allan, in a letter to which we drew attention on the 9th of August, declared that he was already sure of 27 out of 45 of the French Conservative Members, so that his difficulty, as well as that of the Government, was with the Members for Ontario province. The circumstances are suspicious, even ugly. Knights ought not to roll 1.)gs. Prime Ministers ought to leave the management of elections to institutions like our Carlton Club. It is evident that the Commission is doing its work well, and that Lord Dufferin will have the whole truth out in that way, far more fairly and thoroughly than would have been the case had the Select Committee continued to sit.